Readers' letters | Nursing homes; John David Dyche; a student's view

Place in hell

I think there is a special place in hell for managers and industry protectors of for-profit nursing homes.

I spent 10 years of daily visits to a wife and mother who were residents of a Kentucky nursing home. The problems were many and most were associated with the "for-profit" nature of care.

I found the nursing home management staff would routinely not provide all the daily needs of the residents (shortage of staffing, diapers, soap, medical supplies, and food). The need most neglected was adequate nurse's aide staffing. Why would management staff intentionally withhold needed care? At the end of each year the management staff was paid a bonus based on the percentage of care money budgeted, but not spent.

Nurse aides have a very difficult job. Many worked for a short time and quit. The master work schedule showed the minimum necessary staff to operate the shift, but some of the aides would not be at work. The saved money meant a larger management bonus.

The nursing home subcontracted rehabilitation and medical devices. Thousands of dollars were spent on "rehabilitation" needs that were never performed. Medical devices provided (feeding machines,oxygen and other) were often old, outdated, broken or faulty.

Over 10 years my wife endured seven broken bones (no cause was ever determined), numerous bouts of pneumonia, numerous infections and much pain and suffering. She eventually suffocated when she could not clear her throat.

If I were part of the Kentucky legislature I would want minimum nursing home staffing levels and a law to provide for criminal convictions of management in neglect cases.

TOM KING

Louisville 40299

Won't miss Dyche

For all the complaints against the CJ for being too liberal, these people must not read all of the paper. What about George Will, Cal Thomas and all the other conservative writers? Mr. Dyche's writings are generally so vicious he will certainly not be missed. Maybe "The Voice" will welcome him.

MARY LOU MAYHALL

Louisville 40204

A student's view

After reading the article, "JCPS blasted," I was confused as to why so many Jefferson County public schools are failing to progress even with millions of dollars in resources given to them. According to the article, out of the 18 low-performing schools in Jefferson County, 16 are still doing very poorly. This has frustrated many school board members because a couple of years ago, the board came up with a solution for failing schools. A few years later, an analysis by the Kentucky Department of Education showed the plan did not work.

I do not believe it is entirely the schools' fault and, according to the article, many people agree. State Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said "This is going to take much more than a school district effort; this is a community-wide problem." Many parents do not help and encourage their children in school. This is important. I know from personal experience parents can help you succeed. They can help you focus on getting good grades and learn good work habits so you can find a job to support you and your family.

Many failing students live in low-income neighborhoods. According to the Huffington Post, children who grow up in neighborhoods with high levels of poverty are less likely to graduate from high school.

In my opinion, the JCPS school board has to do something about this serious problem. However, it should be a warning to Louisville community leaders that something has to be done about poverty and the lack of support for young students who do not have someone in their lives to help and mentor them.

SAM GRABER

Eighth grade, J. Graham Brown School

Louisville 40202

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Readers' letters | Nursing homes; John David Dyche; a student's view

I think there is a special place in hell for managers and industry protectors of for-profit nursing homes.